Les, a self proclaimed photo journalist, can be found at many of the media events in Manhattan on any given night. He is tough, but alas, he is not as fortunate in his work. There are others with better connections that get to places where Les cannot fathom to go. His luck is about to change, much to his surprise, when he meets Toby, a homeless young man trying to eke a living in New York. Toby is a perfect match for Les. When the two meet, Les has been waiting to get a picture on the luscious K'Harma, a singer with a lousy love life.
Les buys into the idea that Toby can be his assistant, when they meet again. Toby is asked to come to stay in Les' dilapidated Chinatown apartment. One thing though, Toby is not to mess around with the computer, where Les keeps his files. Things change for Les as he takes Toby into his home, even though he never trusts the kid. Les is a hoarder, always insisting in taking the gift bags that are given at any of the events.
Les begins to get lucky. With Toby's help he snaps a picture of an actor as he comes out of a private doctor's office where he has undergone a procedure that has to do with his penis. That picture brings him seven hundred dollars and the temporary fame that goes with it. When Les brings Toby to his parents' home. All the parents want to know is whether Toby, with his good looks is gay. Evidently, they have their doubts about the strange pairing he makes with their own Les.
Toby doesn't realize his life is about to change, when he happens to be innocently standing next to K'Harma at an event he is helping Les to cover. K'Harma likes what she sees, inviting the young man to the VIP lounge and later on to her hotel, where they spend the night without engaging in sex. Les wants to get to be near the singer because she is hot. The opportunity comes in the way of an invitation to K'Harma's own birthday party. Les, unfortunately, decided to bring a small camera to take pictures of the celebrities at the party, something that annoys the guests and the birthday girl. Eventually, Toby discovers the truth about Les' intentions for selling the party's photographs to a trashy magazine and bolts from Les' apartment.
Toby catches the eye of Dana, a casting director. He is asked to play an ongoing part in a series based, more or less, on his own experiences surviving in the city. Toby, who becomes a minor celebrity, is reunited with K'Harma as they both attend an event that put them together in the red carpet, while Les who has come to deal with his former assistant, is singled out among the crowd by none other than Toby himself.
Tom DiCillo, the director of "Delirious", is a man that is familiar with the trappings of celebrity, as he has shown in some of his other movies. Mr. DiCillo knows about hype and what is real and what's not. He takes an incisive look at all the phoniness of that silly world in which illiterate nobodies have their fifteen minutes worth of fame and how they burn after their lack of talent make them disappear from the scene. Les is an empty soul trying to make a living out of that unreal world. He is one of the many predators trying to take the shot that will sell in the printed media at all costs.
Steve Buscemi is perfect as Les. Mr. Buscemi, who has worked with the director before, does an amazing job creating this reptilian character that doesn't show any redeeming qualities and who feeds the public's appetite for gossip and the latest dirt. Michael Pitt does an amazing job as Toby, the sweet street guy. Alison Lohman plays K'Harma. There are many many well known faces in the cast. Tom Aldredge and Doris Belack are good as Les' parents. Gina Gershon shines as Dana, the casting director with an ulterior motive.
Frank DeMarco, the cinematographer captures the Manhattan of the late night crowd. Good views of the Meat Packing District and other locales. Anton Sanko's score blends well in the background.
The film is highly recommended to Tom DiCillo's and Steve Buscemi's fans. They will not be disappointed.
Les buys into the idea that Toby can be his assistant, when they meet again. Toby is asked to come to stay in Les' dilapidated Chinatown apartment. One thing though, Toby is not to mess around with the computer, where Les keeps his files. Things change for Les as he takes Toby into his home, even though he never trusts the kid. Les is a hoarder, always insisting in taking the gift bags that are given at any of the events.
Les begins to get lucky. With Toby's help he snaps a picture of an actor as he comes out of a private doctor's office where he has undergone a procedure that has to do with his penis. That picture brings him seven hundred dollars and the temporary fame that goes with it. When Les brings Toby to his parents' home. All the parents want to know is whether Toby, with his good looks is gay. Evidently, they have their doubts about the strange pairing he makes with their own Les.
Toby doesn't realize his life is about to change, when he happens to be innocently standing next to K'Harma at an event he is helping Les to cover. K'Harma likes what she sees, inviting the young man to the VIP lounge and later on to her hotel, where they spend the night without engaging in sex. Les wants to get to be near the singer because she is hot. The opportunity comes in the way of an invitation to K'Harma's own birthday party. Les, unfortunately, decided to bring a small camera to take pictures of the celebrities at the party, something that annoys the guests and the birthday girl. Eventually, Toby discovers the truth about Les' intentions for selling the party's photographs to a trashy magazine and bolts from Les' apartment.
Toby catches the eye of Dana, a casting director. He is asked to play an ongoing part in a series based, more or less, on his own experiences surviving in the city. Toby, who becomes a minor celebrity, is reunited with K'Harma as they both attend an event that put them together in the red carpet, while Les who has come to deal with his former assistant, is singled out among the crowd by none other than Toby himself.
Tom DiCillo, the director of "Delirious", is a man that is familiar with the trappings of celebrity, as he has shown in some of his other movies. Mr. DiCillo knows about hype and what is real and what's not. He takes an incisive look at all the phoniness of that silly world in which illiterate nobodies have their fifteen minutes worth of fame and how they burn after their lack of talent make them disappear from the scene. Les is an empty soul trying to make a living out of that unreal world. He is one of the many predators trying to take the shot that will sell in the printed media at all costs.
Steve Buscemi is perfect as Les. Mr. Buscemi, who has worked with the director before, does an amazing job creating this reptilian character that doesn't show any redeeming qualities and who feeds the public's appetite for gossip and the latest dirt. Michael Pitt does an amazing job as Toby, the sweet street guy. Alison Lohman plays K'Harma. There are many many well known faces in the cast. Tom Aldredge and Doris Belack are good as Les' parents. Gina Gershon shines as Dana, the casting director with an ulterior motive.
Frank DeMarco, the cinematographer captures the Manhattan of the late night crowd. Good views of the Meat Packing District and other locales. Anton Sanko's score blends well in the background.
The film is highly recommended to Tom DiCillo's and Steve Buscemi's fans. They will not be disappointed.